The news from the casualty department means that Hull Kingston Rovers' Challenge Cup exit is looking decidedly less destructive now than it did in the aftermath of Warrington's accomplished win. With Super League survival their top priority, defeat here was never going to be a disaster for the Robins but on Saturday evening there were real fears that their outstanding start to the league campaign was in jeopardy when the coach, Justin Morgan, revealed that his team had lost three players to suspected broken jaws.

Instead, it now appears that Tommy Gallagher, Gareth Morton and Luke Dyer have all escaped serious injury, though Gallagher will visit a dentist this week after having his teeth rearranged in an incident that saw Warrington's Ben Westwood placed on report for an alleged elbow. Morton has been cleared and Dyer requires stitches in his face, though the news could not placate Morgan over his opinion of the officials on Saturday.

"I was disappointed that a lot of incidents were missed by the referees and touch judges," Morgan said. "A lot of crucial decisions went the wrong way."

The most important of those was the penalisation of Makali Aizue for a knock-on in the 35th minute with the score still 4-4. Moments later the excellent Stuart Reardon was swatting off three defenders to put the Wolves ahead at half-time.

From then on the Wolves never looked back, with the Kiwi loose forward Vinnie Anderson outstanding, scoring two second-half tries having set up Brent Grose's opener. Further tries from Bridge, Paul Rauhihi and Grose again gave the scoreline a flattering look for Warrington, though few could dispute they deserved a win that avenged their shock exit at Hull KR - then in League One - last season.

"It was a game Hull KR could afford to lose and we couldn't, that was written all over the first half," the Wolves coach Paul Cullen said. "But we were patient and I am very pleased with the way the group got each other through it."

Rovers, who scored tries through David Tangata-Toa and Kirk Netherton, will now focus on James Webster's visit to a specialist today. Their captain is hoping for positive news on his ankle ligament injury ahead of an Easter programme that includes the much anticipated sell-out derby at Hull FC in seven days' time.